Fluid-current motor



Judy 1 11924.

' I... LARSEN FLUID CURRENT MOTOR Filed Sept. 28. 1921 Patented July l, 1924,

LABS LARSEN, 0]! TOWNSHIP 132, NORTH OF RANGE 106 W. OF THE FIFTH P. M.,

, NORTH DAKOTA.

. FLUID-CURRENT Moron. 1'

Application filed September 28, 1921. Serial No. 503,915.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LABS LARsEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Township 132, north of range 106 W. of the 5th P. M., in the county of Bowman and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fluid-Current Motors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a current motor and it has for its object to provide a device of simple and inexpensive construction adapted to be placed in a flowing stream or other current of water and to deliver power derived therefrom.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in plan. and partly in horizontal section of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a rear end elevation thereof.

The structure shown is intended to be placed in' a flowing stream of water with its pointed end disposed upstream, the current flow being in the direction of the arrows A.

The current is diverted by the general V shape of the front of the structure and flows along the opposite sides and past the open front sides of compartments 5 formed by the provision of the walls 7", 8, and 9. The structure also comprises a bottom wall 10 and a top wall 11. The structure further comprises horizontal shelves or ledges 13 and inclined laterally extending traokways 14: which lead from the rear ends of said ledges to the outer rear corners of the bottom wall 10. Vertical shafts 15 are journaled in the top and bottom walls 10 of the structure, and each of these shafts carries a plurality of radially disposed arms 16 upon which wings or vanes 17 are mounted for swinging movement. Pins 18 carried by enlarged portions of the shafts 15, limit the swinging movement of the wings or vanes 17 in one direction; that is, when the wings or vanes are traveling around the axis of shafts 15 and outwardly thereof the lower portions of the wings or vanes abut against the pins 18 and thus these vanes are held in a vertical position where they will receive the full force of the current. As the wings or vanes travel inwardly around the rear sides of the shafts, rollers 19 mounted upon these and as they travel outwardly around the forward sides of the respective vertical shafts 15, they ride off of the ledges 13 and drop by gravity to a vertical position in readiness to receive the full force of the current as they move outwardly beyond the points -b.

The rotation of the shafts 15 may be utilized to deliver power to any desired point. To this end I have indicated pinions 20 upon said shaft but it is manifest that pulleys, gears, cranks, or other power transmitting elements may be substituted for these pinions without departure from the invention. Furthermore, it is manifest that the shafts 15 may be lengthened to any desired extent if it be desired to have the device wholly submerged. The device may be wholly or partly submerged as desired. It is to be understood that the structure shown is merely illustrative and that changes may be made therein without departure from the invention. The invention includes within its purview whatever changes fairly come within the terms or the spirit of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. A device of the character described comprising spaced horizontally disposed top and bottom plates, a centrally disposed division wall extending longitudinally there between, vertical walls extending between the upper and lower walls at the front of the structure and disposed at an angle to form a substantially V shaped portion horizontally disposed walls extending between the upper and lower walls and outwardly from the central division wall upon each side thereof, vertical shafts journaled in the upper and lower plates outwardly of the last named horizontal walls, inclined portions at the rear end of said horizontal walls, radially disposed members traveling about the axis of each of the vertical shafts, wings pivoted to swing from vertical to horizontal and supported from said radial elements, and anti-friction element carried by said longitudinally therebetween, vertical walls extending between the upper and lower walls at the front-of the structure and disposed at an angle to form a substantially V shaped portion, horizontally disposed walls extending between the upper and lower walls and. outwardly from the central di- .vision Wall upon each side thereof, vertical shafts journaled in the upper and lower plates outwardly of the last named horizontal walls, inclined portions at the rear ends of said horizontal walls leading from the rear ends of said horizontal walls outwardly and downwardly, radially disposed members traveling about the axis of each of the vertical shafts, wings pivoted to swing from vertical to horizontal and supported there on, antifriction elements carried by said wings and disposed in position to engage said inclined portions ahead of any other portion of said wings and to be guided thereby to a substantially horizontal position as said wings travel around the inner sides of said shafts and along the last named horizontal wall, the rear ends of the vertical walls constituting the V shaped portion terminating in substantially longitudinal alignment with the centers of said shafts and radially disposed pins carried by enlarged portions of said vertical shafts there being a pin for each wing and said pin limiting the movement of the wing in one direction.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

LABS LARSEN.

ill 

